Charlie Dahlstrom
SK2/c USS Mississippi
Charlie Dahlstrom
SK2/C, U.S. Navy
1943–1946 & 1950-1952
Seaman Charlie Dahlstrom
San Diego, CA, 1943
When a kamikaze crashed into a ship, this big ol’ ball of fire went up. Those things would put the fear of God in you.
I was born in Austin, Texas on February 10, 1926. I went to high school at St. Edwards Military Academy and joined the service in 1943 after I graduated. I chose the Navy because I always liked it. I was aboard the battleship USS Mississippi for about three years right out of boot camp. I was on a 5”/51 old bag gun. There were about 15 in our gun crew.
I was in the Battle of Surigao Strait in October, 1944 when we caught the Japanese fleet coming in. We crossed the T and turned them back. It was a classic Navy maneuver where we caught them coming right into us. All of our guns could fire, and only their forward guns could fire. They didn’t really have a chance. My most frightening experience was when we got hit by a kamikaze at Luzon on January 9, 1945. It did quite a bit of damage. The wingtip caught the bridge and swung in and wiped out a 5” gun crew. Then it crashed into a 40mm and wiped it out along with the crews. When a kamikaze crashed into a ship, this big ol’ ball of fire went up. Those things would put the fear of God in you.
We earned seven battle stars while I was on the Mississippi. We were at the Gilbert Islands, then the Marshall Islands. Our number two turret blew up on the Gilbert Islands and killed 45 men. It blew up because of a bag gun. You’re supposed to look down that barrel and holler “Foul Bore” which meant don’t load anything. “Bore Clear” was permission to load. They gave them “Bore Clear” and they loaded that powder bag on the burning powder bag and it burned before they got the breach closed.
I liked my Navy duty. It was a great and sometimes frightening experience. I prayed many times, ‘Oh God, just let me see my mama one more time, and I’ll never get drunk or raise hell again.’ Then we’d get through that battle and I’d get back to some beers somewhere. When the war ended, we were in Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. We headed out of there and went through the straits into Tokyo Bay. I got out of the Navy in 1946.
I got called back in 1950 during the Korean War. I was a storekeeper second class on the USS Jupiter. We operated out of Sasebo, Japan and went to Korea once a month to deliver aviation supplies to the aircraft carriers. We had 18,000 spare parts. I got out in 1952 and went back to St. Edwards to get my degree. I was in accounting and business management. I finally retired in the ’80s and hunted and fished. I came to Fredericksburg because I was interested in Navy history and the Admiral Nimitz Museum. They didn’t know what all the spare parts were that they had collected. I identified all of them.
My best day in the Navy was VJ Day. We’d been saving up our beer for when we went into Tokyo Bay, not for the surrender ceremony but for the invasion. They said there would be 85% casualties on the top side of those battleships. If I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die happy. When they announced they were signing the peace treaty, we broke out our beer and drank it. Everybody was happy, hollering and shooting. Those ships were firing everything including 20mm’s and they don’t explode. They fall back down and explode if they hit something. I think they lost six or seven men was all. My worst day in the Navy was when we got hit by the first kamikaze. We had a total of two hit us. I’m proud of my service. I’m glad I was able to do it. {09-21-2017 • Fredericksburg, TX}